Oconee 01

Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. District totals are aggregated directly from the schools reporting under this district in the source records. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.

Walhalla, South Carolina - 16 schools

An equity score of 50/100 ranks Oconee 01 #38 of 73 districts in South Carolina (state average 51). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $13,875 per pupil, Oconee 01 ranks #33 of 74 South Carolina districts by per-pupil spending (South Carolina districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

10,217
Total Enrollment
16
Schools
$13,875
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Oconee 01 operates 16 public schools serving 10,217 students, placing it among the smaller districts in South Carolina. The school portfolio breaks down into 10 combined, 3 high, 3 middle schools, a compact enough portfolio that families can compare every campus directly before they move, rent, or enrol. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Oconee County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $13,875 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the upper half of 74 South Carolina districts by per-pupil spending. See how South Carolina compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 42.4% local, 39.2% state, and 18.4% federal, a balanced mix across local, state, and federal sources, spreading budget risk across funding cycles rather than concentrating it in one. The district's equity score is 50/100, ranked #38 of 73 in South Carolina against a state average of 51, in line with the typical spread seen across the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

Academic infrastructure includes 3 of 16 schools offering Advanced Placement (34 AP courses district-wide), a 374.7:1 student-counselor ratio, well above the ASCA benchmark though still under the roughly 408:1 national average, and 21.3% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 72.6% White, 13.1% Hispanic or Latino, 8.5% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Blue Ridge Elementary, with a diversity index of 70.0/100.

Its largest campus is Walhalla High, enrolling 1,118 students (11% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Tamassee-Salem Elementary, at 204 students, a 5x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Oconee 01 school enrollment varies 5.5× across entities

Oconee 01 school enrollment ranges from 204 students (lowest) to 1,118 students (highest), a spread of 914 students. That relatively narrow ratio reflects an unusually homogeneous campus portfolio, most districts have a wider mix of school sizes. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Oconee 01 has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 72.6% of the population qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch

free or reduced-price lunch eligibility is the federal threshold for Title I funding allocations, established under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015). Eligibility here is approaching the 75% concentration-grant threshold; it does not yet unlock the extra funding tier but sits meaningfully above the baseline 50% majority mark. Regions with eligibility this high typically draw a substantially larger federal funding share relative to their local tax base, which can either offset or reinforce existing gaps depending on allocation policy.

Source: ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system

Oconee 01 student-counselor ratio is 375:1 — high (typically associated with staffing constraints that limit per-student counselor time; CRDC data shows higher ratios cluster in larger urban systems)

student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment, districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Oconee 01 chronic absenteeism rate is 21.3% — near the typical range (US average ~28) — aligned with the national post-pandemic baseline of roughly 28% chronic absenteeism

chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason, illness, family obligations, or disengagement Variation between sub-units within Oconee 01 is typically wider than the Oconee 01-aggregate figure suggests.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

18.4%
Federal
39.2%
State
42.4%
Local

Funding Equity

50
Equity Score
38 / 73
State Rank
51
State Average

This district has moderate funding equity. There may be room to improve funding diversity or resource allocation.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 16 schools in Oconee 01.

White 72.6%
Hispanic or Latino 13.1%
African American 8.5%
Multiracial 5.0%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 41.0/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Oconee 01's schools, below the South Carolina average of 52.7.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Blue Ridge Elementary 70.0
  2. 2 Northside Elementary 62.4
  3. 3 Seneca Middle 62.2
  4. 4 Ravenel Elementary 61.3
  5. 5 Seneca High 59.8

Programs & Resources

3 / 16
Schools with AP
34 AP courses total
374.7:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
21.3%
Chronically Absent

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22.

Schools in Oconee 01

School Enrollment
Walhalla High
1,118
Seneca High
1,051
Walhalla Middle
857
Seneca Middle
829
West-Oak High
735
West Oak Middle
656
Northside Elementary
616
Walhalla Elementary
612
Fair-Oak Elementary
583
Blue Ridge Elementary
579
James M. Brown Elementary
558
Ravenel Elementary
530
Westminster Elementary
385
Orchard Park Elementary
360
Keowee Elementary
305
Tamassee-Salem Elementary
204

How Oconee 01 Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The South Carolina districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Spartanburg 05 Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
Anderson 01 Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
Orangeburg Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Kershaw 01 Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
York 02 Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix

Comparisons are relative to Oconee 01's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.

Nearby Districts in South Carolina

Top districts in the same state, compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.

Greenville 01
77,978 students · 92 schools · $11,859/pupil
Compare vs Oconee 01 →
Charleston 01
49,929 students · 82 schools · $15,213/pupil
Compare vs Oconee 01 →
Horry 01
47,357 students · 57 schools · $12,785/pupil
Compare vs Oconee 01 →
Berkeley 01
37,932 students · 46 schools · $11,201/pupil
Compare vs Oconee 01 →
Richland 02
28,510 students · 32 schools · $13,517/pupil
Compare vs Oconee 01 →

Compare Oconee 01

See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.

Compare vs Greenville 01 →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Oconee 01?

Oconee 01 has 16 schools, including 3 high, 3 middle, 10 combined. Total enrollment is 10,217 students.

How much does Oconee 01 spend per student?

Oconee 01 spends $13,875 per student. The district has an equity score of 50/100, ranking #38 in South Carolina.

What is the demographic composition of Oconee 01?

Oconee 01 students are 72.6% White, 13.1% Hispanic or Latino, 8.5% African American, 0.4% Asian, averaged across 16 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Oconee 01?

Oconee 01 has an equity score of 50/100, ranking #38 out of 73 districts in South Carolina.